The present invention relates to a method for displaying reasons of computer hardware faults by light emitting diodes on a keyboard, and especially to a method for acquiring the fault information about the hardware or components of a computer by the illumination of the light emitting diodes on the keyboard without needing 80H port fault removing card.
In the prior art of displaying the fault of computer hardware, the basic input/output system (BIOS) will test the hardware and components of a computer by a power on self test (POST), then the basic input/output system make an initial test to and initializes the memories, caches, chipsets, clock chip (RTC) and graphic chip (VGA). After the hardware for lighting up a screen has no fault, the screen lights up. Then, basic input/output system tests and initializes other devices not tested, for example, extension memories, disk drives, plug-in cards, etc. If all are right, then the operation system is loaded. When the screen light up, the user may know the faults from the display of the screen for removing the faults.
If the faults occur before the screen lights up, then the computer casing must be opened, and then an 80H. port fault removing card is plug-in the extension slot. Then the basic input/output system tests the hardware and components of the computer. Referring to FIG. 1, at first, the basic input/output system addresses to the 80H port fault removing card (step 10), and outputs the programmed numerical codes (step 11) (in the basic input/output system, each test stage has its own numerical code which is programmed in advance). Then, the 80H port fault removing card performs an unlock action and displays the relative numerical code (step 12). Then, it tests whether the computer hardware or components has faults (step 13)?
If yes, the basic input/output system stops the test in the following stage. The 80H port fault removing card remains to display the numerical code (step 14). The user checks the fault condition from a table and then repairs it further (step 15).
If no, the basic input/output system outputs the numerical code in the succeeding stage (step 16). Then, the test of the following stage is performed (step 17). If all tests are correct, then the operation system is loaded (step 18). However, displaying fault reason through an 80H port fault removing card has the following defects:
(1) The cost of 80H port fault removing card has a high cost, and thus it is formed as a plug-in card. Therefore, it is not popular.
(2) The computer casing must be opened for installing the 80H port fault removing card. Therefore, the operation is difficult.
Therefore, the prior art method for displaying reasons of computer hardware faults through an 80H port fault removing card is not preferred. In practical application, it is inconvenient and has many defects which are necessary to be improved.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a method for displaying reasons of computer hardware faults by light emitting diodes on a keyboard, in which the display conditions of light emitting diode are encoded. When the program code in the basic input/output system tests the hardware or components are tested, the numerical codes programmed in advance are outputted to the three light emitting diodes. If faults occur, the numerical code displayed through the three light emitting diodes are read for checking on a table. Therefore, the faults reasons of the computer hardware can be acquired without needing to increase the cost of hardware. The fault analysis before lighting up a screen can be performed through the light emitting diodes on the screen. The cost of hardware is reduced greatly and the popularity is increased greatly. Furthermore, the computer casing is unnecessary to be opened for installing other device. Thus, the operation is easily. From the condition of the light emitting diodes on the light emitter, the user may know the condition of the computer. The old system is unnecessary to update circuit for being arranged with the present invention. It is only needed to burn the program code of the basic input/output system. Therefore, the condition of the computer system can be acquired from the keyboard.
To achieve the aforesaid object, the present invention provides a method for displaying reasons of computer hardware faults by light emitting diodes on a keyboard. Since the personal computer is equipped with a keyboard and there are three light emitting diodes on the keyboard, which are a Num Lock LED, a Caps Lock LED and a Scroll Lock LED. These three light emitting diodes have no function in the starting up test before the screen lights up. Thus, the display condition of the three light emitting diodes can be encoded. When the program code of the basic input output system tests the hardware of components of a computer, the set numerical code is outputted to the light emitting diodes on the keyboard so that as the hardware or components have faults, then the fault condition can be displayed on the light emitting diodes on the keyboard so that the fault reason on the computer hardware or components can be acquired.